OUR FARTHEST SOUTH RECORD

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 308, 28 December 1940, Page 2 (Supplement)

OUR FARTHEST SOUTH RECORD

rIEN a small boy I treasured a postcard showing a street scene in Invercargill labelled "The most southern lamp-post and hansom cab in the world." Since that time the distribution of gas street lamps and'., hansom cabs has Faded away—except in Christ:hurch, where, I understand, one ar two hansoms still flourish for aid time's sake. However, New Zealand will never lose jne extreme south record—that of the world's southern limit in the distribution of palms. Our native palm, the likau, is a vigorous member in spite of ts extreme south temperate range. Cer;ainly it is not found throughout New Zealand, but it has managed to brave ;he southern climate to as far south as jreymouth. 9 alms and Glaciers This brings us to another anomaly in espect to the Franz Josef Glacier, only LOO miles south of Greymouth, yet notable from the fact that this is the >nly instance of a glacier having its terminal face descending to a few hunIred feet above sea level and surrounded >y luxuriant temperate rain forest. Thus jalms and glaciers almost "hobnob" in Sew Zealand.

By A. W. B. Powell

The old-time Maori found the nikau a useful plant, for the leaves made excellent thatching for whares and could be quickly fashioned into kits and baskets. The early settlers soon realised the efficiency of nikau thatch and it was widely used prior to the advent of the more durable and efficient, although more unsightly, corrugated iron. One curious virtue of nikau thatch is that although from within myriad speoks of daylight may be seen the leaves in some mysterious manner successfully deflect the rain. Kermadec Species Economically our nikau is of no value, when compared with the rich products of the tropical palms, covering oil, sugar, starch, resin, writing materials, cordage, edible fruits, sago, beverages, vinegar and even soap. Certainly our nikau stands apart scientifically from the other palms, for it belongs to a genus of only three species, the nearest allied being from the Kermadec Islands and the third is from Norfolk Island. The Kermadec species is very similar to the local nikau except for larger fruit and a more striking trunk, the rings left by former leaves standing out in greater